Bolt substitute



July 2l, 1931. A. c. EARHART 1,815,098

BOLT SUBSTITUTE Filed Jan. s, 1931 -f .lub '21, 1931 UNITED STATES mi' c.nmm', or ".1,

mem omo BOLT suns'rrrm spammen nieu :um s, issi. semi la. 500,87*?.

This invention relates-to a bolt substitute designed to be used instead of the conventional screw-threaded bolt, nut and usual lock washer.; and, referring to the particular embodiment disclosed, it is designed especially for connecting the sill of the bod of'a motor vehicle to the frame or chassis t ereofg` As is well known in the art, the headed, screw-threaded bolt with its nut and lock lo washer, which is now generally-used for the rpose of connecting vehicle bodies to f :1 mes, is a'considerable roblem in the manufacture andv prevailing gh speed assembly methods of modern practice, requiring, as it i5 does, the hand operation of placing the lock washer and starting the nut, in additionto the step of tightenin the nut, the latter usually being accomplised by the use of a mechanical device.

The principal object of m invention is to .provide a boltsubstitute w 'ch shall be inexpensive in construction and which can be inserted in position and tightened ina minimum time and at a minimum expense, requiring fewer hand operationsv and less expensive and more conveniently used tools for carrying out the tightening process. With the foregoing and other 'objects in view, as will be apparent :tromthe following descrip- 3@ tion, my invention consists in the details of construction and arrangements of parts las hereinafter described and in the combinatioris claimed. h

ig. 1` is a s ctivey view wit arts 55 broken awaybfirelhank and head porItJions of my improved bolt substitute; Fig. 2 is a perspective of the wedge member which coop-- crates with the parts lshown in Fi 1; Fig. 3,is a sectional view showing said bo t substitute in position of use; Fi 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of F' 6; Fig. 5 is a section on the..y

line 5-5 oi Fig. 4; F 6is adetail of an intermediate portion o the head plate H; Fig. 7 is an elevation of an intermediate form of the shank Sand Fig. 8 is a' perspective view of a. modified form of the rwedge mem-.

inmember W.

he member S has a generally U-shapcd shank portion comprised of the legs 10 and 11, a bight portion 12, and outwardly turned end or terminal portions 13 and 14. The portions 13 and 14 have their terminal extremities set down as at 13a and 14a. Slightin- 60 ward extensions or dents 15 may be provided adjacent the bight 12 in each of the legs 10 and 11. A

The head plate H may consist of a sheet metal plate provided with a comparatively large central opening 16 and narrow openings 17 and 18 in alignment at the two sides of the central opening 16. Adjacent the openings 17 and 18 the head plate will be bent upwardly, as indicated at 19 and 20 above the 70 surface of the remainder of the plate H,

Ywhereby to accommodate the presence of the 'terminal portions 13 and`14IL underneath.

The wedge W may consist of a stampin bent into U- hape and provided with teet or serrations 21 and a series of openings 22 adapted to cooperate with the extensions 15- on the member S to provide locking enga ment between the members Seand W in ependent of any locking engagement between the teeth or serations 21 and the members clam ed between the head H and the wedge preventing complete removal or loss of the -wedge member in case it should become loosl An alternative construction of the wedge a member is shown at W.

In this modification, the wedge is not made of sheet metal but is formed or cast in a solid piece, having otherwise identical structure and functions with the member W.

In the manufacture of this embodiment of my invention an 'intermediate form of the member S is fashioned in the shape shown in Fig. 7 while the plate I-I is stamped in the form of a. flat disk with the openings as shown in Fig. 6. The central o ning 16 will have a width equal or substantially elual to the total section of thel shank forme by the two spaced' legs 10 and 11 of the member S, whereby the shank of the intermediate form of Fig. 7 may be inserted through the opening 16. and the projections 13 and 14* may enter the narrower slots 17 and 18.

' After the parts of Fig. 'T are thus associated,

a pressing operation will serve to bend the members 13'* and 14a and to form the bent portions 19 and 20.

When my improved bolt substitute is to be used for joining a sill member Bl of a motor vehicle with a frame member F'thereof, lthe shank porton -of the .member S will vbe inserted through the opening b in the sill and the opening f in t e frame member. The wedge W will then be inserted through the opening between the legs 10 and 11 and in engaging relation with the bight portion 12. The installation may then be completed Aby tightening the wedge W by a sharp blow of a hammer against the larger end thereof, and, if desired, by spreading the extremities of the smaller end thereof apart as hereinbefore described.

While I have shown and described in de-` tail certain illustrative embodiments of my invention, I wish it understood that the-same is limited only in accordancel with definitions thereof in the appended claims and not totending through each of the other of said I openings and underlying a portion of the head plate.

2. Abolt substitute including a U-shape'd i t' shank portion having out-turned .end portions, and a head plate, said head plate having portions extending under said out-turned portions and portions extending over the thus described my invention,'what I whereby to resist any tendency of said out' turned portions to straighten out.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aix my signature.

ALBERT C. EARHART. 

